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Picture Perfect

author-image
DQI Bureau
New Update

It a time when cost of PCs and electronics goods is going down

and profit margins are taking a hit, display manufacturing companies are

realizing the importance of implementing innovative ideas. To help achieve this,

UK Displays Network (UKDL), a UK-based network of display manufacturing

companies has taken a lead and is closely working with manufacturers across the

world and India to help them in display matters at all levels of industry,

commerce and academia. The network helps engineers and scientists in research,

display materials, production equipment and display device manufacturing. It

encourages commercial and industrial collaborations between members; helping

manufacturers reduce their production risk apart from reducing the time to

market with an overall reduction in cost.

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The activities include displays, lighting, and supporting

technologies through manufacturing. This ranges from the point of initial

scientific invention to the point of product disassembly, recycling and safe

disposal of materials at the end of life. Chris Williams, network director, is a

co-founder of UKDL. The Department of Trade and Industry, Government of UK under

the Technology Program have funded it. It works closely with the Universities of

Swansea and Dundee. UKDL also has close association with technical societies,

institutions, government bodies and sources of finance.

'The production of

flexible displays, and flexible electronic systems will result in a new

era'




-Chris Williams,
network

director, co-founder of UKDL

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Advantages



The display technologies- materials, processes, production equipments-are
developed in the UK. They are of two main types: those that are designed for use

within existing commercially available display technology production systems

used at manufacturers in the Far East, and those that are completely new and

require new ideas and new thinking to organize mass production.

According to Williams, "In looking to exploit the new

technology area of flexible displays, the UK community is drawing heavily on the

experience of those companies who have been involved in the printing industry

for several decades. This collaboration is allowing high tech display companies

fast-track their production process developments."

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Inventions Galore



There are companies like ZBD who have invented a type of liquid crystal
technology that can be mass-produced on existing STN LCD production lines, with

just one small change to the production process. This helps in simple displays

becoming bi-stable (when the information is written to the display, it then

requires no power to maintain that display). This is considered to be an ideal

solution for retail signs and labels.

Patterning Technologies and other companies are developing

printing equipments that can be used to deposit materials used in different

layers of STN and Active Matrix LCD, and Plasma displays. Other companies are

developing new metalization materials (transparent and opaque) to replace the

current materials used in mass production. For example, Keeling & Walker

have developed a form of antimony tin oxide (ATO) that can replace ITO in many

display applications. ITO is sold at $1,000 per kg, but ATO is less than $10 per

kg!

Companies are also in the process of developing a complete range

of materials, processes, equipments, and device designs necessary for emerging

technologies such as OLED and flexible displays that will be manufactured on

plastic and even paper substrates. The main differences between these new

display technologies and existing mass production display technologies are that

almost every process step can be performed using additive printing or other

solution processable methods. All this will help next-generation displays to be

more energy efficient in the manufacturing process.

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The

Innovator List

Substrates:

DuPont

Teijin Films




Display materials:
CDT, OLED-T,

Merck, ZBD, Kingston Chemicals




Flexible display backplanes:


Plastic Logic




Production equipments:
Patterning

Technologies, Inca Digital, Plasma Quest, DEK, Applied Multilayers,

Powerlase, Exitech, Oxford Instruments

Opportunities Aplenty



The low cost in setting up a manufacturing facility will allow more and more
companies to enter into this manufacturing space. According to Williams,

"Eventually, the production of flexible displays, and even flexible

electronic systems (that can comprise of printed sensors, printed photovoltaic

cell and battery, printed electronics and printed display) will result in a new

era where local communities can organize and manufacture many of the devices and

appliances in small volumes for their day to day living needs." He adds

that in printing a device with its own power source (PV cell and battery) will

mean that the device simply continues to work throughout its life without the

need for a connection to the mains electricity or an external battery.

"This will reduce the need to install massive power distribution

infrastructure across a country and to every household, since the individual

power needs are reduced," he says.

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The Indian Picture



UK Trade and Investment, the lead UK Government organization which helps
businesses locate in the UK and grow internationally, is helping UKDL to explore

opportunities in emerging manufacturing destinations like India.

According to Williams, "We are in discussion with Videocon

which is showing interest for their Plasma/TFT/LCD manufacturing unit. We are

now preparing a much more detailed plan to present to Indian companies of the

various display and lighting technologies that are available at UK. The Indian

companies can then participate in a variety of business methods which include

licensing, joint venture developments, or straight forward commercial

transactions."

Sudesh Prasad





sudeshp@cybermedia.co.in

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